This should send a chill up the spine of anyone who is truly seeking to follow the teachings of Christ.
To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth shall set you free.”—John 8:31-32
Notice: holding to Christ’s teaching = being His disciple.
Therefore NOT holding to Christ’s teaching = NOT being His disciple!
This is a very simple test God gave us to determine who is and who is not a disciple of Christ.
Galatians 1:6-10
“I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you by the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel— which is really no gospel at all. Evidently some people are throwing you into confusion and are trying to pervert the gospel of Christ. But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel other than the one we preached to you, let him be eternally condemned! As we have already said, so now I say again: If anybody is preaching to you a gospel other than what you accepted, let him be eternally condemned! Am I now trying to win the approval of men, or of God? Or am I trying to please men? If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a servant of Christ.”
According to Romans 6:3-10 and Colossians 2:12 we are dead and unified with Jesus through baptism into His death, His burial and His resurrection.
Biblical baptism: “He who believes and is baptized shall be saved.” –Mark 16:16
Denominational baptism: “He who believes and is saved shall be baptized.” – Denominational tradition.
We don’t bury live people. On the contrary; We bury dead ones! This denominational teaching, when looked at closely, is NOT what the Word of God teaches about baptism in Romans 6 and Colossians 2:12. This is not a Biblical baptism. Romans 6:9-10 states Christ died ONCE and cannot die again! We are unified with Him in death, buried with Him and also raised with Him through baptism. How does all this take place? By faith.
If we are “saved” before we are baptized, then baptism has no meaning and is contradictory to itself.
Furthermore, Ephesians 4:4-5 states that there is only ONE baptism, not two! A person must choose which baptism is the one that is taught in scripture. And there is only ONE Gospel.
If we deny baptism is when we are reborn, we are denying not only our own resurrection (and rebirth) but also Christ’s resurrection.
To further clarify and reinforce this point see 1 Corinthians 10:1-4, and remember the following illustration from the Old Testament as an illustration for us today:God brought Israel:
1. out of Egypt (the land of slavery–i.e. sin)
2. through the sea (water -i.e. baptism)
3. and into the promised land (Israel—i.e. salvation, redemption)
God did NOT bring Israel:
1. out of Egypt (the land of slavery–i.e. sin)
3. into the promised land (Israel–i.e. salvation, redemption)
2. then through the sea (water -i.e. baptism)
Baptism is nothing new in God’s salvation plan. It is something He has always used to illustrate the separating of sin from mankind. God has always saved people through water. It was foreshadowed long ago in the Old Testament scriptures.
Consider Nadab and Abihu and their strange fire in Leviticus 10:1-3 and King Saul and his own way of doing things in 1 Samuel 13 & 15. Remember also, the story of Naaman the Leper. Was it the water of the Jordan that cured Naaman of his leprosy? No! It was God who removed his leprosy when Naaman demonstrated his faith by obeying God and doing just what God told him to do—in the exact manner God instructed him.
Likewise, when we go down into the water in similar obedience, God forgives our sin. It is God who does the removing of sin, not the water. If God had told us that we have to pat our head and rub our belly to be forgiven, then that is what we would have to do to be forgiven. But God has not told us we have to pat our head and rub our belly. Instead, He has told us we have to be baptized for the forgiveness of our sins.
1 Corinthians 10:6,11
Now these things occurred as examples to keep us from setting our hearts on evil things as they did…These things happened to them as examples and were written down as warnings for us, on whom the fulfilment of the ages has come.
Romans 10:2-3
For I can testify about them that they are zealous for God, but their zeal is not based on knowledge. Since they did not know the righteousness that comes from God and sought to establish their own, they did not submit to God’s righteousness.
Romans 15:4
For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through endurance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.
We have clearly demonstrated time without number that baptism was and is for the purpose of salvation and the remission of sins and has been around from the very beginning of Christianity. It is not a new teaching. Anyone who does not understand that the first Christians clearly taught and believed baptism was always an essential part of God’s plan of salvation, has not done their homework.
To state that baptism was never required for salvation is to be blindingly ignorant of the facts and testimonies of Christians from the earliest times. To the contrary of modern critics, who claim the doctrine of baptism for the forgiveness of sins is outside the realm of traditional Christianity, it can be clearly proven that it is not baptism for the remission of sins that is outside the doctrines of traditional Christianity, but their false teaching that baptism is not a required component of God’s salvation plan that lies outside historical Christian doctrine.
This lesson will be delivered to the brethren at the Hakati church of Christ in Mundere, Western Kenya by our faithful brother Enock Bwire who we’ve been helping to support. They need further financial support with Bibles, Hymn Books and food, which is in short supply. You can contact him directly by email;
enockbwire8@gmail.com 
or you can contact us by email at,
ramseychurchofchrist@gmail.com
